This is a 24 hour event. That being said, we need to have operators at the 3 stations during the 24 hours…. Anyone wanting to operate at Field Day should contact Scott W2NTV with your requests… For example… If you want to operate CW (Morse code) on 40 meters you should email saying this… a limited amount of slots are available so first come first serve….

If you don’t want to operate but like to log please follow the same request…

As a general rule… we need operators during the early morning hours… 3am to 6am

this also gives you choices that are not available during the prime time hours….

EVERYONE will have a chance to operate… We don’t want to hear from club members that “HE is hogging the radio and wont let me operate”

We have great and considerate club members… We like to think we get along well with each other… Just ask…

This film was produced by member Dylan Lewis K2RMY while a student at SUNY New Paltz. The purpose was to show the culture surrounding the amateur radio community. It was filmed in 2013, and released in 2014. You may recognize some QSY members!

We took first place for 3A in NY, with 19 operators who were ‘in the seats’ around the clock! We couldn’t have achieved this without the work and contributions of many in the planning, setup, logging, encouragement, feeding, donations and tear down.

Interested in upgrading to Extra? WECA is conducting an Extra Class License prep class beginning Tuesday January 6 at the Fire Training Center located at 4 Dana Road in Valhalla, (Westchester County) Further details are available by contacting Larrie Sutliff / W2UL at Education@weca.org

Amateur Extra Ham Radio Class!
WECA will again be conducting a free preparatory license class for the Amateur Extra FCC exam. The class will run for ten weeks every Tuesday night from 7-9 PM starting January 6th at the Westchester Fire Training Academy, 4 Dana Road in Valhalla. On Thursday of the 10th week, a VE test session will be conducted at this location ($15 testing fee).
Please join us for this free interactive course taught by a team of knowledgeable Amateur Radio Operators from WECA. Instructors will be Amateur Extras or others who have special knowledge of specific subject areas. The class will review the test pool questions and answers and provide explanations of the accompanying concepts. There are >700 questions in the pool; 50 test questions; 37 correct (74%) to pass. All are welcome to attend who wish to gain additional knowledge of amateur radio even if you do not expect to take the test.
Texts:
1. ARRL Extra Class License Manual 10th Edition w/CD-ROM Practice Exam Software
2. ARRL’s Extra Q&A Third Edition
Both are available from ARRL at:

or from Gene W2KJI at KJI Electronics, Cedar Grove, NJ: http://www.kjielectronics.com/, 973-571-1930; Gene is a reputable local ham radio dealer
or from Amazon- Be very sure to order the correct editions.
1. Please purchase the license manual and begin reading as soon as possible.
2. The Q&A has answers and explanations for all pool questions- a worthwhile investment.
Syllabus:
E1 Commission’s Rules
E2 Operating Procedures
E3 Radio Wave Propagation
E4 Amateur Practices
E5 Electrical Principles
E6 Circuit Components
E7 Practical Circuits
E8 Signals and Emissions
E9 Antennas and Transmission Lines
E0 Safety
Conduct of Training:
Each class will have an instructor/facilitator who will be knowledgeable about the subject area and will involve others who can make contributions.
If you would like to upgrade to Amateur Extra, please contact me by email at W2UL@WECA.org.
Thank you,
Larrie Sutliff / W2UL
WECA Education Director
The Westchester Emergency Communications Assn.
Box 831 Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
914.741.6606 www.weca.org

Jim was a real gentleman, he was often on the 2 meter repeaters, including Mt Greylock and WECA. During the 1990s he was an active member of QSY, sometimes hitching a ride to the evening meetings with Pete N2YJZ. – Shirley N2SKP

Jim Gilmartin KB2WGE – Silent Key
From OMARC http://www.omarcclub.org/index.php/silent-keys
James J. Gilmartin, KB2WGE James J. Gilmartin, beloved husband, father and grandfather died suddenly at his home on Friday, August 29, 2014. He was 81 years old. Born in Ilion, NY, he was the son of James and Mary Ford. Gilmartin. He has been married for more than 50 years to his wife, Jennie Mae Schwed Gilmartin. Jim attended St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and graduated from St. John’s University in St. Cloud, MN where he studied Theology. He retired from Utica Mutual Insurance Company where he worked as a claims adjuster. He was 50 year plus member of Knights of Columbus Council #4536 in Saugerties, Saugerties Fourth Degree Assembly #775 and an active member of the Color Corps. In addition to his family, his two passions in life were Ham radios and photography. He often talked with other amateur radio operators from around the world. He loved to take and develop pictures and then share them with friends. Survivors include his wife Jennie Mae; two sons, Christopher M. Gilmartin and his wife Kelly of Atlanta, GA and Gregory J Gilmartin and his wife Jane of Hingham, MA; three grandchildren, Nicole, Isabelle and Julian; and his sister, Elizabeth Hart of Albany, NY.

(from the April 1999 Q-Signal, when Jim was still with us!)
Jim Gilmartin KB2WGE … On the road as a claims adjuster for Utica Mutual, Jim often thought about becoming a ham.. Upon retiring in 1995, he studied on his own and attained Technician class license. Jim’s operating is primarily from his Kenwood 742A – 6 meters is one of his favorite bands, and has contacted Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia with the help of his 13 element Cushcraft antenna.
Like a true ham, he knows about bargains! – he develops his own black & white photos with an enlarger bought for $20 out of a pawn shop window thirty years ago – and it’s still working!
He and Jenny Mae often visit their sons’ families in Boston and Georgia, and tries to make contacts in each state along the way. No luck in persuading the sons to become hams, but they’re trying to convince him to get WebTV – if you’re familiar with WebTV, Jim would like to talk to you!.

The QSY Society will celebrate the 223rd birthday of Samuel F.B. Morse on Saturday, April 26th. The QRZ.com entry for W2M which you can view at: http://www.qrz.com/db/W2M . Please visit this link for complete details. We look forward to having you “sit the circuit” on Sam’s front porch. Bring your own favorite key – or – use one of our bugs, ‘swipers, straight keys or paddles. 73, Scott W2NTV

As a CW newbie, I often wondered if I copied wrong or the use of certain letter sequences were intentional. Some operators pepper their transmission with all kinds of seemingly meaningless abbreviations and “shortcuts” which are great for simplifying and speeding up the conversation… if you know what they mean!

I found this helpful guide on the internet , so I thought I would pass it along.